Menu

Dumb & Dumber To

One of the greatest comedies of all time, a classic, Dumb & Dumber, is finally getting its sequel. Did it need one? Some say it did, some say leave it be. I personally was up for seeing these characters revisited. The Farrelly brothers return to direct Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as the dimwitted yet good hearted duo of Lloyd and Harry return to go on a new adventure, 20 years after their original trip to Aspin Colorado. This time they are in search of Harry’s long lost daughter he never knew he had. The trailers have not hit home with me as much as I liked, but I had hoped that was only because they chose to do what other comedies do not, and hold the laughs off for the film. So did it work? Well, I’d say, eh. Kinda?

Let’s look at what they did right with the film. The best part of it, is revisiting these characters. As the film starts you are thrust back into this world with Harry and Lloyd and it’s almost like you never left. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels jump back into these characters like they’ve been doing it for regularly for the past 20 years. Their interaction together is great. The chemistry between these two is unbelievable. Rob Riggle is really good in it too. I don’t know what it is about that guy, but I crack up anytime he walks on scene. Chandler’s dad (Kathleen Turner) is pretty functional as Friada Felcher, Harry’s long lost baby mama.

The Marketing department did a great job too, I did not watch any trailers after the first one they released, but they do a good job not showing their cards. The laughs hit hard, when they do. But there are stretches when they are trying to set up a joke that falls flat. But that is not to say the film is not hilarious. There were times that I was on the floor laughing, barely able to contain myself.

But there are definitely some issues with Dumb & Dumber To. While the first film, you weren’t watching it for the story, and this one is the same. The story itself is weak, and almost plot point the same as the first. The long lost daughter that they are on the search for could have been casted better. She was very one dimensional. And the third act the film really falls apart. It is not at all about what makes us want to see these films, what we want is Harry and Lloyd, and in the third act the film stops being about them and tries to be something else. The film could benefitted from another pass at the editing room too.

All in all, I am glad this film came out. It was fun to see these guys again bringing these iconic rolls roles back to the big screen. The cameos are fun, especially one you really have to pay attention to see, Chive On. When I went to score the film I gave it a 3.7, with a .2 bonus for Jim Carey and Jeff Daniels bringing these characters back to us. All together that gives Dumb & Dumber to a Jeebus score of 3.9, Check out the Matinee.